Schmid was not in goal for the last 2. He was on the bench for a 6th attacker. Having the worst PP in the AHL (32 of 32) doesn't make things any better when they empty their net. It's even more likely they will fail.
Halonen has had a non hockey health issue which has been dealt with, but he is most likely done for the season.
Holtz has a different type of non hockey issue. He has an illness that will take time to recover from. He'll be fine, but it will take some time. Also likely out for the rest of this season if what I hear is accurate.
Their loss will be a huge hit to the Comets post season chances which were not good to begin with. Comets have 3 games left and still haven't clinched a spot in the playoffs. Their magic # is 1. Rochester and Syracuse are in along with Toronto.
Toronto 88
Rochester 79
Syracuse 78
Utica 76
Laval 70
Cleveland 69
Belleville 68
The battle for #5 is just as crazy as the battle for 2 or 3. You don't want to finish 4th and have to play a best of 3 to make it in while the other rest. Then if you win that, you earn the right to play #1. 2/3 will be a dogfight to the nth degree no matter which 2.. Whoever of 2/3/4 ends up in that one, the 2 have been playing each other all season long in what seems like at least once a week. These 3 have played each other much more than any other teams in the North.
That’s a terrible break if Halonen and Holtz are both out and not coming back.
Utica plays the Monsters on Friday, April 14, which is also the Blue Jackets last home game.
Blue Jackets have a ton of injuries, so they likely need to call guys up, and these are games where teams typically call up prospects to show them off to fans anyway.
They had four emergency call-ups, including Jirecek and Trey Fix-Wolansky (their top scorer), for the home game vs the NY Rags on the 8th, which was the 1st in their Fan Appreciation Week series. That game was the same day as the Monsters game vs Belleville, which Cleveland lost.
All in all, the Blue Jackets play in Philly on the 11th, then at home on the 13th and 14th.
Cleveland plays on the 10th (7pm home), 14th (7pm away in Utica), 15th (5pm away) and 16th (3pm home). That schedule is pretty brutal, the weekend games are b2b with Rochester. Hopefully they’re calling guys up on the 14th.
Obviously the two games against Syracuse are both more important and tougher. Unfortunately everything is basically peachy keen in Tampa and none of the game days overlap.
Tampa plays their last two games at home on the 11th & 13th. Syracuse plays 12th (Utica), 14th & 15th (Utica).
